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Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose believes the Bulls have only one main rival -- and it's the Miami Heat, not the Indiana Pacers.

Rose made his feelings known before Friday night's preseason contest against the Pacers.

While being respectful regarding Indiana's recent success, Rose acknowledged that he believed any rivalry with Indiana is a thing of the past.

"People say that it's a rivalry but I don't really see it," Rose said. "I say the team that is more like a rivalry is when Darren Collison was on the team. That one was more like a rivalry, but this team is a great team. They've already proven themselves last year by making it to the Eastern Conference finals.

"If anything, by probably in a year or two, it could become a rival. But right now, people say it's a rival ... I just don't see it right now."

Rose and the Bulls defeated the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs in 2011. When asked what made the rivalry with the Collison-led Pacers different, Rose responded this way.

"I think it was more like that rivalry feeling where we knew, we thought that they were going to have that same team for a long period of time," Rose said. "Then they end up going different ways, picking up different guys, and I think this team, I think in the next year or two, if both teams have the same teams, then that's when it would become a rivalry."

When asked specifically if he felt the Heat were the Bulls' biggest rivals, Rose acknowledged that to be the case.

"If you want say [that], yeah," he said. "For sure, Miami."

For their part, the Pacers have repeatedly talked about the rivalry they feel they have developed with the Bulls over the years.

"I think Chicago will always be a rival," Pacers forward Danny Granger said recently. "When you go to the United Center, it's crazy. They have a big home-court advantage there. They have a huge following, not only locally in Chicago, but nationally as well, and I think they'll always be a rival to us. We're really close, so a lot of times there's a lot of Bulls fans here, and vice versa. I think as long as we're in the division, we're going to be rivals."

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was complimentary of Indiana when asked about a potential rivalry with the Pacers.

"We're all battling for the same thing," he said. "They're deep, they're talented, so we know how good they are. They have size, quickness, toughness, they play together, they play smart, they're well-coached. They're one of the elite teams in the East for sure."

Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

if I had to name an NBA team that the Pacers are most like, I would say the Bulls. In many ways they are very similar. Biggest difference is the Bulls offensive thrust comes from their point guard, pacers offense is my diverse. But defense, rebounding, approach to the game, they are very similar.

On the question about whether the pacers and Bulls are rivals? Personally I don't care, I do know that the Bulls if relatively healthy are really good and will have to be dealt with in the playoffs

Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

if I had to name an NBA team that the Pacers are most like, I would say the Bulls. In many ways they are very similar. Biggest difference is the Bulls offensive thrust comes from their point guard, pacers offense is my diverse. But defense, rebounding, approach to the game, they are very similar.

On the question about whether the pacers and Bulls are rivals? Personally I don't care, I do know that the Bulls if relatively healthy are really good and will have to be dealt with in the playoffs

What about the Memphis Grizzles? Aren't they a bit more similar to the Pacers? No wrong answer here, just curious.

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Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

The Pacers, even with what they have done the last two years, are still not given respect. The Heat don't even consider the Pacers a rival even though they beat them five times in the playoffs the last two years, which is a hell of a lot more success than the Bulls have had against Miami. The Celtics only have four postseason wins against the LeBron era Heat yet they are considered a chief rival of Miami.

Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

I am guessing that the answer to this question about who the Bulls True Rival will be changed to the Pacers after the Summer of 2014. My guess is that this is the last year of the Big 2 and Tag Along in Miami. I would not be surprised if LeDecision, Wade and Tag Along will bolt for Free Agency to lock in a new contract in the summer of 2014.

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Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

I honestly don't care what the players say anymore. As far as I am concerned there is no bigger Pacer rival. Rivalries are for the fans more than the players anyways. For them, especially the younger players, it is just business, there is no incentive for them to get too attached to a team or hate a team too much as changing teams is likely. Most of them didn't grow up rooting for the team they play for, so any fan rivalries do not matter as they don't have that history. So **** the players opinion.

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Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

He sure cried an awful lot about the Pacers celebrating that win in Chicago for a team that isn't a rival....

"Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel

"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "
Want your own "Just Say No to Kamen" from @mkroeger pic? http://twitpic.com/a3hmca

Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

The Pacers, even with what they have done the last two years, are still not given respect. The Heat don't even consider the Pacers a rival even though they beat them five times in the playoffs the last two years, which is a hell of a lot more success than the Bulls have had against Miami. The Celtics only have four postseason wins against the LeBron era Heat yet they are considered a chief rival of Miami.

Small market= no respect.

Just because a team isn't considered a rival, it doesn't mean that team isn't respected. Right now it means a little more to the pacers to beat Miami than it does for Miami to beat the pacers. Till we knock them out of the playoffs they'll probably continue to feel that way. It doesn't mean they don't respect us though

Create an ignore list. I know it may seem unneighborly. But you're here to talk about the Pacers, not argue with someone who's just looking for an argument. Most of the regular users on here make use (at least occasionally) of the "Ignore" feature. Just go to "Settings" -> "Edit Ignore List" and add the names.

Federer vs. Nadal: This fierce and storied tennis rivalry between the Federer and Nadal families first originated in 1836 when Fabian Federer and Gerard Nadal played their first match

Kansas City Royals vs. San Diego Chargers: Despite playing in different regions of the country and in different sports, these teams have despised each other for decades

Auburn vs. Alabama: Them two teams don’t much like one another at all, anyone who done seen that there Iron Bowl in person’ll tell ya that. Ain’t no bigger game in the great state of Alabama, and any red-blooded Alabamian who tells ya different is just plain lyin’ to hisself.

Affirmed vs. Alydar: This heated rivalry between two of the greatest thoroughbreds the horse-racing circuit has ever seen was only slightly undercut by the fact that neither horse had any idea what was going on at any time

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The players in this one truly hate each other

Shirts vs. Skins: One of the most treasured rivalries in all of sports, the Shirts currently lead the Skins in all-time wins, 6,917,223 to 6,714,021

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees: As much as these two fan bases may despise one another, the rest of America finds it difficult to decide whom they love more

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins: No information on this rivalry was available

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Re: Rose: Pacers great, but Heat only true rival

Honestly, Rose just comes off as a reasonably whiny, semi-entitled crybaby whenever he comments on...really, anything.

He's never shown himself to be incredibly resilient in the face of adversity. Sitting out the entire year, whining whenever something doesn't go his way, and generally seeming to be a poor sport. (NOTE: Anyone else remember him choking against Miami in the reg season, prior to the injury? Went up and bricked several FT's, allowing Miami to win...)

I think, in terms of rivalries, it's basically Miami vs All Other Contenders. Whether it's Miami/Indiana, Miami/Chicago, or Miami/Nets/Knicks etc, the common denominator is Miami. Win a title, and you'll start developing a lot of "rivalries". In fact, while Pacers/Bulls makes for an interesting regular season rivalry (Central Div), Pacers/Heat is shaping up to be the ECF rivalry going forward.

What if someone from a school of business or management school were to ask, How did you do this? How did you get the Pacers turned around? Is there a general approach you've taken that can be summarized?